Making a Resolutions List that Works
9:00 PM |
| "I can, because I want what I must (do)." Immanuel Kant |
With January here, new plans come: the new year's resolutions. They are considered cliche by a lot of people mostly because the goals are often abandoned by February. Why is that? People have trouble sticking to their plans because sometimes the goals were wrongly set from the beginning. Maybe details were overlooked or the sources of motivation were unclear or inconsistent.
So how do you create a new year's resolutions list that is doable?
1. Assess your current state 🔍- analyze where you are know, your salary, your lifestyle, your responsibilities, your strengths, your weaknesses, your health and your surroundings. It's like doing a business plan. You not only analyze your business but also all the other factors that can affect it.
2. Make your goals realistic by going from small to large ✅- assessing the situation helps you realize what you need in order to go from point A to B. What time does it take? Is your current situation favorable or do it need to change a lot? For example, if you've never read a book in your life but want to start reading, it is not realistic to set as a goal "to read four books a month". When your resolutions aren't realistic, you get easily frustrated and lose interest.
3. Create a timeline 📆- this enables you to work step by step. Having goals within goals helps you measure your progress constantly and feel motivated as you complete each step.
4. Make a list of what's required (or changes needed) 📝- knowing the resources or adjustments you need to achieve your goals helps you establish the environment that enables you to accomplish what you want. For example, if you want to start doing exercise, it is good to not only evaluate gym membership prices but also the schedule you need to follow and the time you need to take off from doing other things. You may need to change your work schedule, find someone to pick the kid from school or bring lunch instead of eating out. Likewise, you might end up realizing that instead of joining a gym, working out a home might be better.
5. Make sure motivation comes from within 💪 - what is motivating you to achieve that goal or to work on a change? If you're setting goals because someone else told you to, motivation might last less. Be your own cheerleader, empower yourself and work for it.
So no, new goals aren't cliche. What is cliche is abandoning them in two weeks and blaming everyone but ourselves. Let's change that!
Oh and, I've you're reading this later, never forget that you don't have to wait for a new year in order to set goals. 😉
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